Hold'em table

As the button in a three-handed game, I can open fairly wide; a modest raise gives me a chance to take the blinds and avoids inviting a cheap multiway pot.

Pocket nines play well as a 3-bet from the small blind against a button open to build the pot and take the initiative out of position.

8-2 offsuit is far too weak to continue against an open and a three-bet. Folding preserves the stack for better spots.

J-4 offsuit is too weak to continue against the small blind’s large three-bet, even in position.

Opening A8o from the button in a 3-handed structure is a standard value and positional open.

76o is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated offsuit hand.

T-2 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a button raise, even with the favorable pot odds.

QTo is playable on the button in three-handed poker, so I open to 2.5bb to take the initiative and fold out weaker hands.

A♠7♣ is strong enough to defend the small blind against a button open, but calling avoids inflating the pot out of position with a hand that can be dominated.

Getting 5 to 1 pot odds closing the action preflop, J6s has sufficient equity and playability to call 150 chips.

I have ace-high with limited improvement potential on a three-way flop, so checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act.

I flop top pair with a weak kicker in a 3-way pot; checking to the preflop raiser keeps the pot controlled and under-represented.

Checked to me as the preflop raiser on a dry J-high board. A small c-bet pressures weak hands while I still have a queen overcard and a gutshot.

The small bet offers favorable pot odds, and ace-high can still be ahead of some button bluffs and weaker hands. Calling keeps the pot manageable without turning a marginal hand into a bluff-raise.

I have top pair with J6 on a fairly dry board and am getting 6-to-1 immediate pot odds to call a single bet.

I have only ace-high with a gutshot, and both opponents called the flop bet. I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into two players.

I have top pair with a weak kicker on a wet turn board; checking controls the pot and lets me see what the button does.

I have the nut straight (Q-J-T-9-8) on the turn and both opponents checked. A two-thirds pot bet charges draws and gets value from pairs and worse made hands.

A-high has little showdown value against a turn bet after both players called the flop, and the gutshot is not enough to justify the price—especially with another player still to act.

Facing an 80% pot turn barrel on a coordinated board with top pair and a weak kicker, our hand is too weak to continue profitably.

T9 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Folding 97 offsuit out of position against a button raise.

J7o is too weak to defend from the big blind against a button open to 2.5bb; folding avoids a dominated spot out of position.

Holding an unsuited and disconnected 8-5 offsuit on the button, this hand is well outside standard opening range even 3-handed.

69 offsuit is too weak to complete from the small blind out of position after the button folds, so I give up the 50 already posted.

J6o is too weak to open from the button; it is dominated often and plays poorly postflop, so folding preserves chips.

With the button folded, this is a heads-up blind pot; completing costs only 50 chips and gets favorable pot odds, even with a weak hand.

Holding K9 suited in position against a small blind limp, raising to 300 extracts value and takes initiative.

2♦6♥ is a very weak offsuit hand, and calling a raise out of position is not worth the cost.